Code Geass: Quest for Justice
by Luke Stafford
Summary: A 16-year old boy finds himself in a different version of Earth, in the middle of a military pursuit of terrorists, with no idea how he got there. He meets a mysterious green-haired girl, and acquires a great power, which he intends to use to bring justice to the world.
1. A New Power Arises

**Disclaimer  
****Author:** Luke Stafford  
**Fandom: _Code Geass_**  
**Rating:** M  
**Disclaimer:** I don't own Code Geass or Bleach (minor Bleach reference) or any associated characters. Any OC's are mine.

A New Power Arises

***Luke ***

I remembered a blinding flash of white light, and a sort of dull pain in the back of my head. I was still wearing my black t-shirt and my dark blue shorts, as I had been in my house. I was moving. Or rather, I was on something that was moving. I could feel cold metal beneath me as the dimly lit container raced along. It appeared to be the back of an 18-wheel truck. There was an open slit several inches tall that ran the width of the back of the truck, and was about halfway up the height of the back of the truck. In front of me, there was a large, dark red capsule, with metal bars sticking out at various points, like a locking mechanism. The side wall of the truck was on my right, and when I looked to my left, I could only stare. There was a crouching red robot, humanoid, and with some kind of container attached to its back. It also had roller blade-type things attached to the back of its mechanical feet. I could tell that it would be over 10 feet tall when standing. A metal door sealed the way to the truck's front cabin.

_What's going on? How did I get here? What is that thing? It looks like a war robot. No one on Earth has that technology, though…right? And what's in that capsule? A weapon? _Questions raced through my mind as I struggled to understand what was going on.

Green light shimmered in front of me, in the direction of the capsule, before vanishing. I heard a girl's voice say, _It's you; finally, I have found my-_. I glanced around, looking for the voice's origin, before realizing something. The voice hadn't been audible; it had been inside my mind. I stood up, ran toward the capsule, and began looking for a way to open it, as well as any indicators of what was inside.

The truck's horn flared twice, and from the front, I heard a man's voice say, "You idiot! Watch where you're going!"

From the same direction, I heard a girl, different from the one I heard in my head, shout, "No! Not that way!"

The truck veered sharply to the left, and I was thrown to the side of the truck, my back slamming against the wall. "Agh!" I yelled. Pain flared through me and tears sprang to my eyes, but it didn't feel too serious. I blinked away the tears and felt my back ache. The truck's container shifted right as the truck tried to turn, and I was thrown forward, before the vehicle slammed to a halt, flinging me against the capsule like I was no more than a doll.

"Shit," I muttered. _What the hell is going on? _

Most of my body felt numb; the parts that didn't throbbed. At least the robot and the capsule hadn't moved to hit me. They seemed secure. Likely, their owners didn't want any damage to come to them.

I heard the girl again. "Nagata? Nagata?"

_A word in a foreign language? Or is it the man's name? Japanese?_

The truck jolted backwards, and I was pressed firmly against the capsule. I held on to some of the capsule's metal bars with all the strength I could muster, not wanting to be tossed around again. We began moving forward again, after turning slightly to the left. The truck ran over something, bouncing a little, and I felt glad that I was holding on to the capsule, as it lessened the impact of the bounce.

The truck picked up speed, and it felt like we were moving more smoothly. _We must be back on the road_, I thought.

I could hear the whirring of helicopter blades. It sounded as if there was more than one. A voice called out over some kind of loudspeaker, above and behind us. _Must be from one of the helicopters._

"Stop the vehicle!" the voice shouted. "Surrender now and you'll get the chance to defend yourself in court!"

_Multiple helicopters? Defend yourself in court? This can't just be because of that crash. Especially because helicopters that launched after the crash couldn't have possibly reached us by now. Something else is going on. Is this truck carrying something illegal? That robot? Are there bombs in this capsule?_

"Stop, and surrender at once!" the voice demanded.

_Surrender? Is this truck part of some rebel military? Terrorists?_

Gunfire erupted. It sounded as if it came from the helicopters. The truck began swerving left and right to avoid the bullets.

_We're being shot at_, I realized, panicking. _I can't die. I haven't done anything wrong. I don't even know where I am!_

The gunfire paused. "Stop now or we'll shoot to kill!"

The man in the front of the truck spoke again. "What do we do now? That's the army!"

"Have you forgotten? That's what I'm here for," the girl replied.

_The army? These are definitely some kind of rebels or terrorists._

Lights on either side of the door to the front cabin turned green, and I heard gears buzz. _Someone's coming back here._ I hid behind the capsule, my back against the right side of the truck, and glanced around the edge of the capsule to see who it was. The girl came through. She was young, with bright red hair and vibrant blue eyes. She had a dark red headband on and a white jacket that ran down past her waist. She was very pretty.

She called to the man who was driving the truck. "Can you enter the subway via the Ozabu route?"

_Definitely Japanese_, I thought.

As she walked toward the back of the truck, she unzipped the white jacket and took it off, revealing a sleeveless brown and red top, brown shorts, high red socks, and brown boots. I edged around the capsule after she passed me, watching her. She was walking straight toward the red robot.

"Kallen, let's use it here, why not?" the driver shouted.

"Because that would mean a bloodbath!" the girl, Kallen, responded.

"You're right," the driver said, dejected.

The girl climbed into the container on the robot's back, and it sealed shut behind her. Lights came on, and it stood up. _So she's about to use some kind of war robot, and she's worried about something else causing a bloodbath? The only other thing here is this capsule, so… It really must have some kind of weapon. And it must be pretty dangerous. Maybe that was what the military wanted._

Something launched out of the robot's right shoulder, and went through the slit in the back of the truck. I could see that it was still attached to the robot by a metal cable coming out of its right shoulder. A second later, I heard an explosion behind us. _Interesting. This robot took out a helicopter with a single shot from a multi-use weapon. What other armaments does it possess?_

The weapon retracted back into the robot's shoulder, and snapped into place as the back of the vehicle opened all the way. I held onto the capsule even tighter, knowing I would likely die if I fell out. _That is, if I survive whatever is going on with this military-thing._

The robot leapt out of the truck, its mechanical feet crashing into the highway we were driving on. It cracked the concrete where it landed, but remained upright. It instantly began moving, the wheels attached to its feet spinning rapidly, as it continued to follow us while in reverse, never turning away from the three pursuing helicopters. Then, the back of the truck closed completely, blocking my view of the robot.

I heard gunfire behind me as the helicopters fired at the robot. _Or was the robot using its own guns? Maybe, but the helicopters are definitely firing back._ There was another explosion. _Guess that's another helicopter down. That leaves one left. Looks like the military pursuit wasn't capable of handling one of these robots. They must not have expected these guys to have one. _

A different voice than the one before came on over a loudspeaker. It was male. "You guys back off; I'll take this guy. I can only assume you dug that obsolete relic off of some scrap heap," he said smugly. "An over-the-hill Glasgow is no match for a Sutherland!"

_So the red robot is a Glasgow. The other guy has a Sutherland, which is apparently superior. He called the Glasgow an obsolete relic, but it was capable of taking out two choppers like they were nothing. How powerful is a Sutherland?! Are all of those war robots that strong? Or is it the thing's pilot, that girl?_

"Not to mention a filthy Eleven that spurns the compassion of our glorious emperor!" the man exclaimed.

_Eleven? What does he mean? Is he talking about that girl? And he mentioned an emperor, but there are no emperors left on earth who would have the kind of power and technology that these machines possess. Am I even on Earth? If not, which seems increasingly likely, then how the hell did I get here?_

There was more gunfire behind the truck. _He told the helicopter to stay back, so it wasn't that, which means those robots definitely have guns, and on machines that big, they're probably .50 cal or something. Japan_, I remembered, _metric system. Well, they're definitely high caliber guns. The questions is: who's firing? The Glasgow or the Sutherland?_

"Kallen, we should both split up!" the truck driver shouted. _Probably using some radio_, I figured. "Both of us can't risk being killed! Run for it!"

_Can't risk being killed…she's losing. Sutherlands really must be superior, not just some boast he made._

The gunfire stopped and the truck rushed ever forward along the highway. A few moments later, gunfire erupted again, this time in front of us. I heard glass shatter. The truck turned hard to the left, and I continued to cling tightly to the capsule, so as not to go tumbling around again. I could already tell my joints would be sore for the next few days.

_We're being shot at again? Is it the same guy? I thought he was chasing the girl; can those things even move that fast? It has to be someone different. The glass shattering sounded like the windshield. Has the driver been shot? That'd be just great_, I thought grimly.

The firing stopped, and the truck began to bounce more as we drove. _ We must be off the main road. _I glanced at the girl's discarded jacket, and saw what appeared to be a walkie-talkie sticking out of one of the pockets. I edged over to it, picked it up, and turned it on. _Now I can listen to what they say. Maybe I can figure out just what the hell is going on._

There was a loud crash, and I felt a jarring pain as I clung to the capsule. _The truck must have crashed again. The driver probably did get shot earlier._ The truck had stopped moving, but I could still hear the wheels screeching. _We must be stuck in a ditch or something._

From the radio, I heard a man gasp. I figured it was the driver. _He might be seriously hurt. But then, isn't he a terrorist? Should I even try to help him?_

I resolved to see if I could help, and decide whether or not to stop him after I had talked to him. Almost immediately after I decided this, a green light turned on over on the left side of the truck. Then, half of the left side slid open, revealing some kind of abandoned, underground room, like an old subway station. _Have we been driving along old subway routes? No wonder we crashed and got stuck. Having an injured driver definitely wouldn't have helped._

I stepped out from behind the capsule, and walked towards the still closed door that led to the front cabin. I heard running feet, and glanced toward the now-open side of the truck. A figure in plastic combat armor wearing a helmet with goggle-shaped eyes came hurtling toward me. He kicked out as he leapt, and I raised my arms to block. His kick smashed into my arms, and knocked me backward onto the ground. I grunted from the pain.

"Wait, who are—" I began, as he grabbed me by my shirt and yanked me up.

"That's enough mindless murder," he growled, after the mouth piece of his helmet detached.

"I'm not one of them! I—"

"Planning to use poison gas? Don't play dumb with me!"

"Hang on!" I shouted. "Just listen! I'm not one of them. I don't know what's going on or where I am! I woke up on this truck with military helicopters pursuing it!"

"Huh?" he looked confused. "You certainly don't look like a terrorist. Are you a Britannian?"

_Britannian? Like the British Empire?_

"I'm from America," I told him. "Please, I'm not a terrorist. Here, the one in the Glasgow left this."

I handed him the radio. He pulled me to my feet. "Stand still, raise your arms, and spread your feet apart," he commanded.

I did as he said, and he patted me down. All I had was my wristwatch.

"So you don't have any weapons," he said. "Maybe you aren't a terrorist. Do you object to being taken in for questioning?"

"No objections," I replied, realizing it might be my only way out of here. "I have nothing to hide; take me into custody and you'll know I'm innocent. My name's Luke, Luke Stafford."

He nodded, and grabbed me by the arm. He gave me the radio back, and told me to give it to the officers who questioned me. Green light appeared, emanating from the capsule. The locking mechanisms began unlocking. He pulled me outside the truck and covered my mouth as the capsule opened, revealing a young girl with green hair, gagged, and bound in some kind of straightjacket. "That's not poison gas," the soldier said, sounding very confused.

"What's going on?" I asked him. "Why is there a girl in there?"

"I don't know; they told us it was poison gas."

"Well, come on, we should help her. She's been in that capsule for a while."

"Right," he agreed, and we ran to her, picked her up, and carried her outside, before setting her down. I noticed that the soldier was unarmed, and wondered why that would be.

As the soldier started taking the straightjacket off of her and I began undoing her gag, she looked up at me. Her eyes shone a brilliant gold, and I noticed just how pretty she was. Suddenly, two flashlights came on in the direction the soldier came from. We looked up, and 20 feet away we saw nine soldiers armed with what looked like assault rifles, and another man standing in front of them. They all wore dark red military uniforms with black boots, and the man in front was wearing an officer's hat.

"Stinking monkey," the officer growled, glaring at the soldier. "Being an honorary Britannian will not excuse you!"

The soldier ran up to the officer. "But sir," he said, "I was told this was poison gas."

"How dare you question orders!" the officer barked.

"However," the officer began, handing the soldier a pistol. "In light of your outstanding military achievements, I'm going to be lenient. Private Kururugi, take this and execute the terrorist."

I gasped, and my eyes grew wide. _They're going to kill me._

"But sir!" the soldier exclaimed, not taking the pistol. "He's not a terrorist! He's just a civilian who got caught up in all this!"

"You insubordinate little—" the officer seethed. "That's an order! Didn't you swear your loyalty and your life to Britannia?!"

"Yes, but…I can't."

"What?" the officer growled.

"I won't do it, sir" the soldier, Kururugi, said, turning to look at me and the girl. "I won't shoot a civilian. I can't follow your orders, sir."

"Very well," the officer said, and the sound of him cocking the pistol was apparent.

The soldier glanced back at the officer just as he fired. The soldier collapsed to the ground, eyes closed, unmoving.

"Well, kid, not a good day to cut class. Collect the girl. After you've secured her, kill the kid."

"Yes, my lord," the red-clad soldiers said in unison.

As they readied their guns, the truck exploded. There was a deafening roar and a pillar of flame and debris shot upward. The soldiers shielded their eyes and dove for cover. I pulled the girl to her feet and dragged her down one of the tunnels, moving quickly and quietly in order to escape.

We ran for several hundred yards, until the girl tripped. I helped her to her feet, and finished undoing her gag. We could hear explosions echoing in the tunnel, but they sounded like they were coming from above ground.

"Who are you?" I asked, fear still prevalent in my voice. "What's going on?! Please, I don't know what's happening!"

She stared at me, but remained silent. Her eyes looked a little sad, although, there was no fear in them.

"Not talking? Come on, then. We have to keep moving."

We ran a few hundred yards further down the tunnel, until coming to a stone staircase. I could see light at the top. We climbed halfway up the stairs before I stopped and turned to her.

"Wait here," I whispered to her. "And stay quiet."

I got down on all fours, and crawled up the remaining stairs. I peered around the top of the staircase into some kind of dilapidated warehouse, with several holes in its roof, and saw six soldiers armed with assault rifles. The soldiers were gunning down a group of civilians. After the last civilian fell, the officer from before strode to the front of the group, followed by two more red-clad soldiers.

"Report," he said.

"We found only Elevens here, sir," one of the soldiers responded.

The officer scowled.

"You're sure of it?" the officer asked. "That exit comes out here."

"Yes, sir," the soldier answered. "It matches up with our map of the old city."

I heard a young girl start crying. There was a burst of gunfire. The crying stopped. I grimaced. I began inching backwards. I had gone less than two feet when the radio fell out of my pocket. The sounds of it falling down the stairs reverberated throughout the warehouse and the tunnel. Everyone heard. I scrambled to my feet and rushed toward the girl, but two soldiers grabbed me by the arms and dragged me up the stairs, into the warehouse. Two more followed, holding the girl.

They shoved me against the back wall of the warehouse and went to join their comrades several yards away. The two soldiers who had the girl let go of her and pointed their guns at her, the threat obvious. The other soldiers aimed their rifles at me.

"What an appropriate location for a terrorist to meet his end," the officer sneered.

"I'm not a terrorist," I told him. "But I don't think you care. Your own soldier told you I'm just a civilian, and you shot him."

"You did well in evading us," he told me. "But you appear to be a Britannian, so I would expect nothing less of you, even though you are a kid. Unfortunately, my clever young friend, you have no future."

The officer cocked his pistol and aimed it at my chest. The girl ran past the soldiers and stood in front of me. She shouted, "He mustn't die!" The officer fired. The bullet struck her in the forehead, a fatal wound. She collapsed to the ground, blood seeping from the bullet hole and pooling around her.

"You bastard!" I yelled, full of fear and rage. He grunted.

"Our orders were to bring her back alive, if possible." He said. "Oh well, nothing can be done about it now. We'll tell our superiors that the Royal Guard found the terrorist hideout and killed them all. Regrettably, the female hostage had already been tortured to death. What do you think, kid?"

I glared at him. My hands were curled into fists, and quivered with rage. The girl's hand moved and grabbed my leg, but with little strength. I heard a girl's voice in my head, the same voice as before. _It was her_, I realized. _But how did she move her arm? And how can she talk? She should be dead._

_You don't want it to end here, do you?_ The voice asked. _You appear to have a reason for living. If I grant you power, can you go on? I propose a deal: in exchange for this power, you must agree to make my one wish come true. Accept this contract, and you accept its conditions. While living in the world of humans, you will live unlike any other. A different providence, a different time, a different life. The power of the king will condemn you to a life of solitude. Are you prepared for this?_

_ Yes_, I answered, within my own mind. _If you give me this power, I will do everything in my power to make your wish come true._

I felt something surge within me. Knowledge. So much knowledge. It flooded my mind. Knowledge of The Holy Britannian Empire, Area 11, Knightmares, the entire history of this world. This world, for I was now certain that it was not mine. I knew of Ashford Academy, and my role as a student. _Wait. I have never attended Ashford Academy. _Yet, I knew the place, and the people there. I had memories of it, memories I did not have before. _What is this? She didn't mention this happening. There will be time to sort it out later. _For I also felt what she had promised me: the power. _I know this power. Or at least, something very similar._ I grinned.

***Randall***

The girl's arm moved and touched the kid's leg. _She should be dead. Well, then. Maybe we can still bring her back to headquarters. She must be very valuable for the Royal Guard to have been mobilized. Maybe worth a promotion for the one who finds her._ The boy's blue eyes flashed. He grinned. _The stupid kid is about to die and he grins? _He looked right at me. Something was odd. He didn't look afraid. In fact, there seemed to be defiance in his eyes. A red sigil appeared in his left eye, and was gone, instantly, as if it had never been there. The girl remained on the floor, unmoving. _Guess it just didn't kill her instantly._

"So," the boy began, "you intend to kill me?"

"Of course," I replied. "All terrorists must be executed. It is His Majesty Prince Clovis la Britannia's royal decree."

"And your soldiers, they will do as you say?"

"They have sworn to obey Britannia, and will do whatever Britannia requires of them, without exception, and without mercy."

"I see," he answered. "So you have no qualms about killing innocents in the name of Britannia? You would gun us down like you did those civilians over there?"

He gestured toward the dead Elevens.

"They are nothing but pathetic parasites, leeching off of the Holy Britannian Empire," I told him. "Death is better than they deserve."

"I have no more questions," he said.

"Very well," I began, "Soldiers, prepare to fire!"

My men glanced down their sights, making sure they had good shots.

"Fire!" I shouted.

There was a roar of gunfire as a hail of bullets erupted from the muzzles of their rifles. Dozens of bullets ripped through the boy's body, blood spraying outward and gushing from his wounds. He collapsed on the floor, obviously dead. I counted nine bullet holes in his head alone, all gushing blood. His expression was blank, as if he could not believe what happened. I smiled.

"Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu," a voice whispered from behind me. My eyes widened; it was the boy's voice. Instantly, the boy and girl were gone from in front of me, as were all the bullet holes in the back of the warehouse. I glimpsed the girl out of the corner of my left eye, slumped against a crate. I could see two of my soldiers out of my left eye as well. Both were dead, lying in pools of their own blood. A double-tap to the forehead had done it for each of them. Pools of blood near my feet led me to believe that the same fate had befallen my other men. There was something pressed against the back of my head. It felt like the barrel of a gun.

_How? How can this be? How did he get behind me? How are my men dead? How is he even alive?!_

"Who are you?!" I demanded, fear creeping into my voice.

"Who I am is irrelevant," he replied calmly. "My purpose is what matters. And my purpose…is to bring peace and justice to this world. To do this, I will crush those who would kill and oppress the innocent. I will root out tyranny and corruption, man by man. I will bring an end to injustice, and protect all innocent people. You have slaughtered innocents personally, and many more have died at your command. You willingly follow orders of butchery, and in fact go beyond the parameters of your orders and commit further atrocities. I have made my judgment."

Luke Stafford fired the LA-26 semi-automatic pistol that he had taken from one of the dead Britannian soldiers at the back of Randall Saunders' head. The bullet went straight through his head, ripping through chunks of flesh and brain, and shooting right out the other side of his head, from between his eyes, killing him instantly. He collapsed to his knees, a surprised expression on his face, and then landed face-down, blood pouring from the hole in his head. _Finally_, Luke thought, _I can bring justice to the world, and make it the way it should be._


	2. Let the Games Begin

**Let the Games Begin**

***Luke***

_It had been so easy_, I thought. _They had lives and dreams and some probably had families, but that hadn't saved them. People are so easy to kill, no matter who they are or what their background is. _I clenched my teeth. _They deserved it, though. They gunned down innocent people without remorse. They earned their deaths with their own actions._

I was surrounded by the bodies of the soldiers I had shot, lying in pools of their own blood. I glanced over at the girl, still slumped against the crate where I had left her, and thought back on what I had said to the officer before killing him. "Shatter, Kyoka Suigetsu," I had said. I smirked at the memory. When I understood the power that the girl had given me, I realized how strikingly similar it was to the Shikai ability of Sosuke Aizen's zanpakutō, Kyoka Suigetsu, from the anime "Bleach". The girl had given me the ability to control people's perception of things; I had complete control over all of their senses. I could cause them to see and hear whatever I want, as I did with the Britannian soldiers, and all the while, I was free to move about, with no one knowing. It was so easy to create the illusions; at times, it had felt like I wasn't even consciously controlling them. It was as if the illusions had run off of my subconscious, knowing what I wanted. I could even sense the general location of people in the nearby area, although, there was currently nothing I detected. _This is a residential area. But I sense nothing. _The thought made me angry.

I reflected on how I had killed the Britannian soldiers, and what I had been able to do with my new power. As soon as I had created the illusionary version of myself to converse with the Britannians, I had dragged the girl over to a crate on the right side of the warehouse and leaned her against it. She had to be dead, but I still didn't want to leave her body sprawled on the floor of the warehouse. After that, I had taken two pistols and two holsters, which I strapped onto either side of my waist. Their assault rifles had shoulder straps attached, so I took one and slung it across my back. I removed all remaining firearms from their possessions, setting aside an assault rifle for later use, and taking a third pistol, along with an extra magazine. I immediately shot the soldiers I had personally seen killing civilians, shooting them twice in the head, just to be sure. I had been playing airsoft for years, and, while I was by no means a sharpshooter, I was definitely capable of hitting targets at this range. After hearing the officer's answers about what his men were willing to do, I shot them as well, replacing the pistol's magazine when it ran out. Then, I put the pistol to the back of the officer's head, and ended the illusion. I told him what I was doing, and why he deserved to die. When I was finished, I executed him. Once they were all dead, I had collected additional magazines.

Something disturbed my rumination. _A presence, _I realized. _75 meters and closing, fast. I guess that's my effective range, then. Wait, meters? When did I start using meters? Stop thinking and hide, you idiot! _I berated myself as I took cover in the stairwell to the old subway line and set up my illusion. A few seconds later, it arrived.

A blue Knightmare stopped at the entrance to the warehouse, carrying a massive assault rifle. _A Sutherland_, I knew. _How do I know these things? Where did this knowledge come from? Never mind; I've got bigger things to deal with. _

Panels opened on the Knightmare's 'head', and its Factsphere sensor pulsed. I knew what the Knightmare's pilot was seeing, because I was controlling it. I left the dead civilians, seeing no reason to remove them, but as far as the pilot was concerned, there were also eight Britannian soldiers in dark red uniforms standing crisply at attention, and a Britannian officer with epaulettes showing the rank of captain, holding a handcuffed green-haired girl.

"Sir, may I ask who that girl is?" a voice said over the Knightmare's speaker system. It sounded female. "Is she a special directive? The only orders I have received are to destroy Shinjuku Ghetto, kill all Elevens in the ghetto, and, if possible, recover the stolen capsule."

"Pilot," the captain answered, "We found this girl in the capsule; there was nothing else in it. Far be it from me to question the orders of my superiors, but I think this girl is what Prince Clovis actually wanted to recover. Whether or not that's correct, the Prince will certainly want to see this girl, at the very least to question her on how she got in the capsule. I would like you to give me you Knightmare so that I may take this girl to Prince Clovis personally."

There was a slight pause. Then the pilot said, "Very well."

The Knightmare sank to its knees, and I stood up from my hiding spot and ran to where she believed that captain was standing. The pilot and I were the only living people within 150 meters, and the pilot was oblivious to my presence. Gears hissed as the cockpit opened, and the Knightmare's pilot climbed out. She was a young, dark-skinned woman with silver hair. She wore purple gloves that continued up most of her arms, a purple sleeveless uniform that formed a cape around her legs, and a pair of thigh-high purple boots. With her curves and outfit, she was downright sexy. _A Knightmare pilot; she must have useful information._

She strode to the illusory captain and handed him the Knightmare's key. "The code number is XG21G2D4," she told him. I took the key from her hand. The captain nodded.

"I'm giving you command of my troops," the captain informed her. "After I have delivered this girl to the prince, I will return your Knightmare to you. Fall in with the squad while I prep the girl."

The captain began carrying the girl to the Knightmare while the female pilot fell in as squad leader. I retrieved two pairs of handcuffs from the soldiers' corpses. I went to the pilot, handcuffed her hands with the first set of handcuffs, and moved her legs closer together before handcuffing them as well. I took her sidearm, as well as the communication headset she wore, put it on myself, and then walked to the Knightmare's cockpit, and climbed in. There was a purple jacket to my right, which I figured belonged to the woman. I put the key in the ignition, and entered the code. The Knightmare sprung to life; the cockpit closed, and it stood to its full height.

"Shatter," I whispered, watching the pilot through the Knightmare's sensors as the illusion disintegrated. Confusion flashed across her face. _Probably felt the handcuffs._ She looked down and saw the handcuffs, and judging by the way her arms were moving, she could feel the pair that held her hands behind her back. She looked behind her, and must have seen the dead soldiers. When she faced the Knightmare, anger and confusion dominated her face.

I pressed the speaker button. "I'm not going to kill you," I told her. "Not unless you start attacking civilians, at least. Cooperate, and I swear I will not harm you. I'm leaving you here, but I will be back for you. If you try to escape, I may have to gun you down. Please don't make me kill an unarmed woman."

I took a minute to familiarize myself with the controls before turning the Knightmare and rolling off. _These Sutherlands seem pretty user-friendly. Must be part of the mass production. _I pulled the radio I that I had gotten from the terrorists out of my pocket, and began accessing the Knightmare's stored information on local features and maps, as well as Britannian troop movements. _Time to fight back._

***Kallen***

I, inside my Glasgow, leapt onto the street and, with my remaining slash harken, gutted a Britannian tank. Rubble from destroyed buildings was everywhere, as were clumps of dead Japanese citizens.

"Those damn Britannians!" I exclaimed, tears in my eyes. _So many dead. Those monsters!_

"Kallen!" Ohgi's voice came on over the Glasgow's audio system. "Can the Glasgow still move?"

"Don't worry, Ohgi!" I told him. "It's all right; I'll decoy them. Get the people out of here! The only ones that'll be captured are those of us in the resistance!"

"I know, but we're trapped!" he said. I heard bursts of helicopter gunfire on his end, and an RPG being fired. "They've got us completely surrounded!"

"Hang on, then. I'll try and make an opening."

"Got it."

I took off, heading south, landspinners moving furiously, dodging around rubble and ducking under falling structures. I paused to dance out of a Britannian tank's line of sight before destroying it with a burst from my Knightmare's assault rifle. My Knightmare picked up another enemy unit, and, turning, I unleashed my slash harken at the Britannian chopper coming up on my right, which went down as a blazing ball of fire. Two more blips appeared on my Knightmare's radar, and I heard landspinners behind me. I gasped, seeing two Sutherlands.

The one on the left opened fire as I took off, speeding away as fast as possible, desperate to escape. _I can probably beat one Sutherland, but facing two with only one arm would be suicide. How can we win this? How can we even survive? The Britannians have us completely outmatched. Nevertheless, I have to keep fighting. I have to help Ohgi and the others and save as many people as I can._

My Knightmare beeped several times, and the fuel gauge flashed. "Just 30 minutes left!" I gasped. _My Knightmare will run out of fuel before this battle is over, and then I'll be a sitting duck._ The radio that I had duct taped to the Glasgow's cockpit crackled.

_ "The west entrance," a male voice said over the radio. _Who is this? _I wondered, shocked. He doesn't sound like anyone in the resistance I know._ "Use the tracks to move to the west entrance."

"Who's this?!" I demanded. "How do you know this code?"

"That doesn't matter," the voice said. "If you want to win, you're just going to have to trust me."

Knowing I had no other way out of this, I reluctantly resolved to trust him. I moved to the base of the tracks and leapt onto them, rushing toward the west entrance, sparks flying as my landspinners rolled along the train tracks.

"Ok, what am I supposed to do now?" I asked, seeing that the Sutherlands were right on my tail.

A train appeared ahead, heading right for us. "Since you trusted me, you're going to win," the voice told me. "Jump on top of the train!"

I did as he ordered, and began leaping along the train from car to car. I was stunned by what unfolded behind me. The pursuing Sutherlands continued at high speed straight into the train. They collided, and metal rent. The train shuddered and jolted, and I stopped running as struggled to stay on top of it. The train had plowed right into the Sutherlands, denting and ripping gashed in both Sutherlands, as well as knocking them off the side of the elevated tracks. Though the Knightmares were still relatively intact, it was likely that their pilots had been suffered concussions from the jarring impact. As they fell, two slash harkens burst from a nearby building and tore through the assault rifles of both Sutherlands, rendering them useless as well as knocking the remains out of the Knightmares' hands. The slash harkens retracted before rocketing into the lead train car, turning it on its side, and causing the train to come to a screeching halt. The Sutherlands crashed to the ground and several bursts of gunfire followed, emanating from the same building, and sounding like they came from the rifle of a Knightmare. The gunfire severed the legs of the Sutherlands from their torsos, leaving them practically immobile.

_ What the hell just happened?! How could the train hit them? There's no way they could miss a massive train barreling down on them, horn blaring! _

A Sutherland leapt onto the tracks from a hole in the side of the building the slash harkens had come from, a DF-14 assault rifle in its right hand. "You saved me," I said, incredulous, as I climbed off the train. "But how did you get ahold of a Sutherland?"

"I took it from a Britannian," the Sutherland replied. It was the same voice from the radio. "That's all you need to know, right now."

"Kallen!" Ohgi shouted as he, Tamaki, Inoue, and Minami ran up to me, armed with assault rifles. "Who was-"

He cut off, and the four of them readied their assault rifles at the Sutherland that had come around the front of the train.

"Don't shoot!" I shouted at them. "He saved me, and took out two Britannian Sutherlands!"

They lowered their guns, but still glared at him with suspicion.

"Are you the one who contacted us?" Ohgi asked.

"Yes," the Sutherland answered. He sounded young. "I contacted all of you, because I need your help. I can't beat the Britannians alone. Are you the leader?"

"Uh, yeah, I am," Ohgi replied. "Kallen, are you sure we can trust this guy?"

"He saved my life, Ohgi, I trust him," I told Ohgi. "Besides, what other choice do we have?"

"Ok then," Ohgi said, turning back to the Sutherland. "I'm Ohgi. Another group of us should be here soon. But even with all of us, we can't beat the Britannians. They have dozens of Knightmares, tanks, and helicopters, hundreds of infantry, and they have Shinjuku completely surrounded."

"Open the train cars," the Sutherland told us, his tone completely flat.

The others looked confused and a bit suspicious, but I was willing to trust him. I yanked open the first car's doors one at a time, because my Glasgow only had the one arm remaining. We gasped. Lined up, crouching on the floor of the car, were several Sutherlands. The car also contained energy fillers, Knightmare rifles, and all sorts of military equipment. Ohgi and the others began opening the other cars. I looked back at the Sutherland that saved me, still standing there impassively.

"How did you do this?" I asked.

"I used the Sutherland's information on Britannian movements to identify the contents of this train, and then secured it for our use," he replied, matter-of-factly. "The Knightmares are yours to utilize."

"This is amazing!" Minami exclaimed. "Maybe we should give this guy a chance."

Just then, Yoshida's group arrived, and Ohgi explained the situation to them. They all climbed into Sutherlands, and started acquainting themselves with the interface system. I retrieved an energy filler from the first train car and replaced my current one, which had nearly run out.

His voice came on over our Knightmares' comm systems. "Ohgi, you know your followers better than I do. Designate four squad leaders, yourself among them, and assign your followers to squads. Girl in the Glasgow, Kallen, is it? You're with me. I'll need you to cover me and assist me with any problems that should arise."

"Yes, ok," I replied, as Ohgi sorted the others into squads, two of which contained two people, with the other two squads having three.

"Ohgi, you are Bravo-1, and your squad members are Bravo-2, and Bravo-3," the voice said, before gesturing at the other squad leaders. "You are Charlie-1, Delta-1, and Echo-1. Your squad members follow the same numbering as Ohgi's, although they are Charlie, Delta, and Echo, respectively. Refer to me as Alpha-1. Kallen, you are Alpha-2."

"Got it," Ohgi and I answered. Tamaki grunted.

"Echo squad," Alpha-1 began, "seal the cockpits of the two crippled Knightmares at the base of the tracks behind me. Then, take them to the coordinates I'm sending you now. It's an old warehouse. There should be a Britannian soldier already there, in handcuffs. Echo-1 will guard them, and Echo-2 will then join up Delta squad. Echo-1, see that no harm comes to them; they're our prisoners. Move."

Minami and Satou, Echo-1 and -2, glanced at Ohgi before rolling past Alpha-1 to carry out his orders.

"Bravo, Charlie, Delta, I'm sending you coordinates as well. Move to these positions. Once you've arrived, await further orders. Do not engage unless I give the go-ahead. Go. Kallen, stay behind me, and keep me covered."

The other squads headed for their assigned positions, while Alpha-1 turned northeast and sped off in that direction, with me close on his heels. After about a quarter mile of driving through the ruined streets of Shinjuku, we halted at the entrance to an alley.

"Like I said, stay behind me, and watch my back," he told me over the comm system, as he rolled to the end of the alley. "Bravo squad, two enemy Knightmares will be driving by you, coming from the south, heading northeast. Shoot them through the wall."

"Got it, Alpha-1," I heard Ohgi reply.

Alpha-1 reached the other end of the alley, and I halted ten feet behind. He launched his slash harkens at a Britannian helicopter, causing it to explode._ Now they know where we are! Is he trying to bring them down on us?_ Sure enough, four enemy Sutherlands soon arrived in the street outside our alley. Then, they began firing at a building thirty feet to our left. Alpha-1 stepped out into the street and unloaded his Knightmare rifle's ammunition into them, taking out one, two, three of them. The fourth turned to face our general direction before Alpha-1 gunned him down as well. _Why did they just sit there and get shot? They didn't try to dodge, or even fire back at us. They just shot that building's wall. _

"Alpha-1, you were right," Ohgi said over the intercom, "there were two enemy Knightmares heading northeast. We took out both of them."

_ Who is this guy? How can he do this? Whoever he is, he's gotten us Sutherlands, and we've already taken out six enemy Sutherlands. We might actually make it out of here alive._

***Luke***

_ This is child's play_, I thought, as Charlie and Delta squads took out five more Sutherlands, right after Alpha-2 and I had destroyed a patrol of two. Echo Squad had already arrived at the old warehouse, found the woman to still be there, and Echo-2 had joined up with Delta Squad. I have access to their communications, and they continue to broadcast their IFF transponders._ I know exactly where they are, and exactly where they're going. They're being cut down like wheat. _

"Bravo squad, fire slash harkens at the helicopters overhead," I ordered. "Then, retreat to point Sigma-3."

Two enemy signals disappeared, and another squad headed for their location. Perfect. "Charlie Squad, three enemy units moving through the alley to your right. Light 'em up."

About fifteen seconds later, Charlie-1 replied, "Enemies destroyed, Alpha-1."

I noticed an IFF nearby, and I heard a voice yell "Now I've got you!"

I turned in the direction of the voice and raised my left arm in defense just as a slash harken plowed right into it. The slash harken locked in my arm, and I started getting dragged toward him as he opened fire. _I can't feel a presence; he must be out of my range! _I could see the bullets chipping at the metal of my arm, knowing it wouldn't hold much longer. I tried to engage my landspinners to escape, but the slash harken held me there. If I tried to charge him, I'd trip on the slash harken's cable. _Is this it? Is this how I'm going to die? _I despaired.

"Oh, no you don't!" I heard a girl's voice shout. Alpha-2 crashed into him from the side, and slammed her metal fist down on his Knightmare's head. She kicked it right in its chest, and as she readied another punch, the pilot ejected, shooting off into the distance. I managed to yank the slash harken out of my arm without causing too much damage as Alpha-2 rolled up beside me.

"Thanks for the save," I told her. "I thought he had me back there."

"Don't mention it," she replied. "You've been helping us, and we're going to help you."

_ Well, that clears all enemy troops in the area. What will you do now, my dear little Prince? _I thought, smugly. A few moments later, over two dozen units moved forward from the border guard, largely consisting of units that had been defending the G-1 base. _Idiot. Time for the wolf to hunt the sheep._

"Alpha-2, move into that back alley," I told her, highlighting it on the map. "Bravo, Charlie, Delta, move to these new positions."

By the time the terrorists reached their positions, the enemy was nearly upon us. I remained at an intersection, with Alpha-2 in an alley behind me.

"Bravo Squad, fire at the ceiling of the tunnel! Charlie-1, reveal yourself, and then duck for cover. When the enemy draws near, take them out from behind, Delta Squad. Alpha-2, launch your slash harken at the roof of the building on your left."

The building behind me collapsed as Alpha-2 destroyed the roof and leapt into the intersection with me, taking out the Sutherland on top of the building's roof. Nearly a dozen enemy IFF's blinked out all over the area. The attacks had succeeded. That still left about fifteen units heading straight for me and Alpha-2, in our central location, coming from three different directions.

"Alpha-2, this is going to sound crazy, but don't fire until I give the command."

_ They're here; sixteen enemy units against the two of us. They're hopelessly outmatched._

Sixteen Britannian Sutherlands rumbled into the square, rifles at the ready. However, my illusion was already active. They moved right past us, more slowly now, going toward the subway entrance across the street. They formed up in two columns, and prepared to descend. After all, they had seen enemy Knightmares descend into the subway. Despite what I had said, I was surprised Alpha-2 had held her fire. I could only imagine how tense, fearful, and confused she was feeling.

"Fire slash harkens at the building next to them, and yank back!" I shouted to Alpha-2 as I did the same. "Bring the building down on top of them!"

Our slash harkens locked into the building and we pulled back, causing the greatly damaged foundations to shake, before the building leaned toward us and came crashing down on the Britannian Knightmares with a thunderous roar. I was grinning wickedly; drunk with success, as sixteen Britannian IFF's were silenced at once, finishing off all of the Britannian reinforcements. _That'll give High Command something to think about; they lost sixteen units at once._

"Alpha-2, I appreciate you trusting me," I told her. "I know that must have been hard for you to do, given how hopeless the situation must have looked."

"You haven't failed us yet," she replied, but she still sounded a bit shaken.

"Alpha-1, this is Delta-2, enemy unit inbound on our location," a male voice said over the intercom. "It's not like the others, it's-"

I heard the sound of gunfire over the intercom, curses in Japanese, and then static.

"Delta-2?" I inquired. "Delta-2, report!"

Nothing.

"Delta-1, what do you see?" I demanded.

"It's not a Sutherland, I think it's a new model," Delta-1 replied. "We'll take care of it, and get revenge for Tanaka."

More gunfire came on the line. "It reflects bullets?!" a panicked voice exclaimed in disbelief. Then there was nothing but static. _Damn it! Delta Squad is down, destroyed by a single enemy unit!_

"Attention all units, do not engage!" I shouted. "Repeat: do not engage! Fall back to my position; you should all be receiving the location now. Alpha-2, on me."

We moved two blocks down, through the rubble, to a new intersection. Over the intercom, I told Alpha-2, "You're going to have to trust me again. Don't engage unless it starts attacking me. Otherwise, stay back and keep me covered."

I emptied my entire Knightmare rifle's entire magazine into the sky above me. _That ought to draw his attention_, I thought grimly. _Come and get me, you bastard._

I soon detected a presence heading for us, moving very quickly, faster than a Sutherland should be able to go. _It must be a new model, like Delta-1 said._ A Knightmare arrived at the intersection, and began kicking, punching, and spinning as it battled its illusory foe. The Knightmare was white with gold trim, and with something that looked like a horn coming out of the back of its head. And it was fast. Extremely fast. _Definitely an advanced model._ Wondering about its so-called "ability to reflect bullets", I had my illusory Sutherland leap backward and fire at the white Knightmare with its rifle. A translucent green shield appeared from its right arm, and sure enough, the Sutherland's bullets bounced right off. _Astounding. Even the knowledge I gained of this world has nothing about this thing. Must be some kind of prototype, and this is likely its first time in combat. I wonder who's piloting this thing anyway. No matter. I can't let the Britannians keep something like this._

"Alpha-2, restrain him!" I shouted, as the white Knightmare continued to battle its invisible enemy.

Alpha-2 rushed over to the white Knightmare and locked her remaining arm around the white Knightmare's waist, holding it place as it continued to fight its enemy. I allowed the imaginary Sutherland to be destroyed, and revealed another one in the distance. The white Knightmare stopped struggling and engaged its landspinners, thinking it was rushing toward the enemy. The intercom came on, and I heard Alpha-2 grunt.

"Alpha-1, I can't hold him much longer!" she exclaimed. "He's too strong!"

"I understand," I told her. "I'll end this now."

I rocketed over to them, flipped out my right arm's stun tonfa, and smashed it down as hard as I could at the joint where the white Knightmare's cockpit joined the back of its torso. There was a loud screech at the tearing of metal as the cockpit was severed from the main body of the Knightmare. Steel was rent and torn as the cockpit clattered to the ground, with the pilot still inside. Alpha-2 released the now inactive white Knightmare. I looked down at the pilot sitting in the cockpit, still moving at imaginary controls. My eyes widened. It was the boy who saved me from the officer! The Eleven soldier who had been shot for standing up to his commanding officer and refusing to shoot a civilian! A boy to whom I owed my life.

I ended my illusion, and he stared at the Sutherland and one-armed Glasgow standing over him with utter disbelief. He glanced to his right and saw the ruined back of his white Knightmare.

"Go," I told him. "You've lost your Knightmare; you're out of this battle. Get out of here. Leave, and I won't kill you. Stay, and I'll be forced to gun you down. There's nothing more you can do here, so just go."

"Who are you?!" he demanded, eyes full of confusion and rage, like the woman whose Sutherland I had stolen. "What did you do the Lancelot?!"

_ So the white Knightmare is called the Lancelot._

"You don't really expect me to tell you who I am, do you? Keep your life and get out of here; it's my gift to you."

He gritted his teeth as he got to his feet and climbed out of the cockpit.

"Very well; I'll go," he said. "You're right that there's nothing I can do right now. Attacking you would only get me killed. And if I die, it will be in the service of the people."

He spun on his heels and took off in the direction the Lancelot had come from. It wasn't a panicked run at full speed like someone desperate to escape. It was a disciplined military jog as he went back to base. _He has no fear of death_, I realized.

Soon after, Bravo and Charlie squads arrived, and I waved them over to me.

"You have all done very well, and carried out my orders as specified, even though you don't even know who I am," I told them. "I thank you for your trust, and I have only one more thing to ask of you. Take this white Knightmare to the subway entrance where Echo-1 is waiting. Remain there until I contact Echo-1. Then, I need all of you to follow the subway line to where your truck first entered; Alpha-2 knows the spot. Destroy all of the Knightmares except for the white Knightmare and two others. After that, all of you may go, except Alpha-2. I will arrive in a few hours with transport. Wait for me there. I will take care of the Britannians."

"Understood, Alpha-1," Ohgi replied, "but why Kallen? What do you need her to do?"

"I have never failed you, nor done anything to betray your trust," I told them. "I need you to trust me one more time."

"Ohgi, it's ok," Kallen told him. "I'll do it. I'll be there, Alpha-1."

"Thank you. This is where we part. I have one more task to accomplish, but this one I must do alone. Farewell."

I turned my Knightmare east, and rolled off towards the G-1. My Knightmare was recognized at the checkpoint, and I was allowed to pass. I arrived outside the G-1, and halted. Two sentries stood outside. I could feel dozens of people inside. Wary of cameras, I took the purple jacket the woman had left inside the Knightmare, and tied it around my head, obscuring all of my face, except for my eyes. I powered down the Sutherland, opened the cockpit, and climbed out, pistol drawn. The sentries took no note. As far as they were concerned, there had never been a Sutherland there.

I strolled inside and headed for the command center of the G-1. Anyone who looked at me saw nothing but empty space, and I was able to slip right past them. I arrived at the bridge and opened the door, walking into the main room. To all inside, the door remained closed. Several men in military uniforms with various high ranks visible on their shoulders were standing around a tactical readout of the area, like those located within each Knightmare frame, and muttering about what to do.

"No enemy action in the last ten minutes," I heard one say, as well as, "How do we beat them, anyway? We've lost over fifty units and ASEEC's special weapon!"

Sitting on a throne located on a raised platform with stairs leading up, was a young man with blonde hair and blue eyes, wearing a purple suit with gold trim, as well as white boots and white gloves. Prince Clovis la Britannia, 3rd Prince of the Holy Britannian Empire, my mind told me. I turned back to the officers and calmly shot them, one shot to the head for each, my hand completely steady_. You order the slaughter of thousands of innocent people and think you can get away with it? If no one else will punish you, I will._

I replaced my magazine, turned to face the prince, and ended the illusion. His eyes grew large, and he sputtered. All of his officers were dead, and he was alone in the room with a man whose face was covered and was pointing a gun at him. I raised the jacket on my face so that my mouth was uncovered.

"You will order your men to stand down," I told him. "Far too much blood has been spilled today. You will cease all destruction of Shinjuku ghetto, and let the Elevens leave. You will treat all those injured equally, without special preference to Britannians. Give the order to your men. Now."

He activated the intercom, and said, "Attention all forces, cease fire at once. I, Clovis, 3rd Prince of Britannia and Royal Viceroy of Area 11, hereby command you. All forces are ordered to cease fire at once. You will also cease destruction of any buildings or property. All casualties, whether Britannian or Eleven, shall be treated equally, and without prejudice. In the name of Clovis la Britannia, you are hereby ordered: cease fire at once! I shall allow no further fighting!"

He turned off the intercom, and stared into my eyes.

"Are you satisfied?" he asked bitterly.

"Very much so," I replied, before turning on my radio. "Echo-1, release the prisoners. See that they're gone before you depart."

He leaned his head on his right hand as I turned off the radio.

"And what shall we do now?" he inquired. "Sing a few lively ballads? Or perhaps a nice game of chess?"

"I have no interest in playing games with the likes of you," I spat out. "You, who ordered the deaths of thousands of innocent people. Your crimes have been weighed, and I have made my judgment."

I shot him. Three times, one for each member of Delta Squad. Then I shot him a fourth time, for the green-haired girl in the capsule.

I turned around, and left, illusion reengaged. I exited the G-1 and found the military in a state of disorder as they rushed to treat wounded people, let Elevens leave the Shinjuku ghetto, and packed up military equipment. I pulled the jacket off my face and put it on, helping to conceal the assault rifle on my back. No one paid one more civilian a second thought. After about thirty minutes of searching, I found an eighteen-wheel truck that had abandoned by its driver during the destruction of the Shinjuku ghetto, with the keys still in the ignition. I made sure the back was empty, and then fired up the engine.

I had to wait in lines for over an hour to get out of Shinjuku because the exits were so packed with people and vehicles. I did my best to remember the route I had looked up in my Knightmare, but I made a few wrong turns and had to get back on course. As a result, it took me an hour and a half of driving to get back to where we had originally entered the subway line. It looked deserted. The sun was setting behind me; it was 6:00. I parked the truck in the plaza. I tied the jacket back around my face, and I unslung the assault rifle from my back, took off the headset from the Knightmare, and took off all other weaponry aside from a pistol in its holster and an extra magazine in my pocket.

I then exited the truck, and went to the subway entrance, which was shrouded in darkness. I raised my hands as I walked over, showing whoever was watching that I was unarmed. I stopped when I was twenty feet from the entrance, and looked behind me to see if there was anyone there. Once I was sure the coast was clear, I turned back to the tunnel.

"Alpha-2?" I called out.

A girl stepped out from the shadows, holding a pistol trained on me. She was the same girl from the truck, clad in khaki and dark red, with red hair and bright blue eyes. Alpha-2. Kallen.

"It's me," I told her. "I'm Alpha-1."

She seemed to relax, but kept the gun up.

"Did you bring the Knightmares?" I asked. "I brought a truck to hold them. We just need to load them inside."

"I'll load the Knightmares," she said, holstering her gun. "You open the back of the truck."

"Whatever suits you," I replied, going to do as she said.

I opened the truck's rear doors, and the Glasgow came out of the shadows, carrying the heap of white and gold metal that was the Lancelot. She dumped it into the truck, and shoved it toward the front, before returning to the tunnel. She then came out with a Sutherland, and loaded that as well. She motioned for me to move away, which I did, as her Glasgow climbed into the truck, powered down, and she got out. After she was out of the truck, I went over and closed the rear doors. I felt a gun press against the back of my head.

"Why did you help us?" she asked. "You're a Britannian. Why would you join Elevens and fight against Britannia?"

"Not all Britannians are evil," I replied. "Some people do what's right for the sake of doing what's right. That's what I did. The Britannians were attacking and killing innocent people, and I had the power to stop it. I couldn't just stand by and let it happen. I had to stop them; to make them pay. I know you feel the same as I do."

She must have been satisfied by my answer, because I felt the gun go away from the back of my head. I turned around and looked at her for a moment.

"You look Britannian," I told her.

"I'm half-Britannian. But Britannia is cruel and oppressive, so I fight for Japan."

"You saved me today. I know a mere 'thank you' doesn't do much, but it's all I've got. So, thank you."

She blushed.

"You were fighting for us, fighting to save people. And with you, we won."

"We did, didn't we?" I mused. "Still, there will be more battles ahead. I intend to keep fighting. But I'll need help. I'll need someone I can trust. Someone to go into battle with me; someone to watch my back. Can I count on you?"

"M-me?" she stammered. "You want me to join you? What about Ohgi and the others?"

"They can join as well, but it's you I really need. I killed Prince Clovis today. They'll be hunting for me everywhere when the word gets out."

She was shocked at that.

"Y-you k-killed…but how? How did you kill the prince?"

"Does it really matter? He's dead. If you really want to know how, I'll tell you another time. Now, I'm going to ask you something, and you can't freak out. Do you attend Ashford Academy?"

She stiffened, and her fingers tightened around the gun at her side.

"That's all the answer I need," I told her. "Don't worry; I won't tell anyone. Stadtfeld, right? Kallen Stadtfeld?

"Kozuki," she answered, levelling the gun at my forehead. "Kallen Kozuki. Stadtfeld is my Britannian name. Now tell me right now, how you know that and why I should trust you."

"Because," I began, pulling the jacket off of my face and letting it fall to the concrete. "My name is Luke Stafford, and I also attend Ashford Academy."

* * *

**A/N: I know it took nearly two weeks on this. I meant to have it done sooner, but I was really busy recently. Hopefully I won't be as busy in the future.**


End file.
